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| Hurricane Michael makes landfall in Florida – live updates | Hurricane Michael makes landfall in Florida – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Our Jamiles Lartey dropped by the Kindel Lanes bowling alley in Marianna, Florida, where owner Jeff Kindelspire invited his neighbors, who live in mobile homes, to join him and ride out the storm. | |
| A group of a half dozen neighbors were munching on burgers and watching storm news on TV. | |
| “We’ve got soda and snacks and cards, and we can survive in here without power for up to a week,” Kindlespire said. | |
| Mobile home residents are some of the most vulnerable when hurricanes hit... But it's less daunting when, like Jeff Kindelspire, you also own a local bowling alley. He invited some of his neighbors to ride out the storm with him at Kindel Lanes like he's been doing since 1980. pic.twitter.com/pOwU8ywVXp | |
| While the panhandle is taking the hardest hit, other parts of Florida are also seeing the effects of the storm. | While the panhandle is taking the hardest hit, other parts of Florida are also seeing the effects of the storm. |
| There’s been some flooding in the Tampa Bay area, more than 300 miles from where the storm’s eye made landfall. | There’s been some flooding in the Tampa Bay area, more than 300 miles from where the storm’s eye made landfall. |
| Images posted by a Tampa Bay Times reporter show flooded streets in Tarpon Springs and rising water in New Port Richey, both cities north of Tampa. Flooding could get worse when high tide arrives. | Images posted by a Tampa Bay Times reporter show flooded streets in Tarpon Springs and rising water in New Port Richey, both cities north of Tampa. Flooding could get worse when high tide arrives. |
| And streets are starting to flood in Tarpon Springs. This is Dodecanese Blvd. @TB_Times pic.twitter.com/yhWTRh9c7y | And streets are starting to flood in Tarpon Springs. This is Dodecanese Blvd. @TB_Times pic.twitter.com/yhWTRh9c7y |
| An hour and a half or so before high tide, the water is coming up here in a New Port Richey neighborhood by the Pithlachascotee River — several neighbors parking cars on one piece of high ground pic.twitter.com/nYuRmAyAxM | An hour and a half or so before high tide, the water is coming up here in a New Port Richey neighborhood by the Pithlachascotee River — several neighbors parking cars on one piece of high ground pic.twitter.com/nYuRmAyAxM |
| It’s one of 21 Waffle House locations in the storm’s path that have shut down, WMBF News reported. | |
| Everything in Marianna, Florida closed down for the storm, the Guardian’s Jamiles Lartey reports – including the local Waffle House. | |
| That’s a bad sign: Fema informally uses a “Waffle House Index” to determine the likely scale of assistance required for disaster recovery, since the restaurant often stays open when others close. | |
| The Waffle House is also closed. Bad News. FEMA informally uses a "Waffle House Index" to determine the likely scale of assistance required for disaster recovery. Waffle Houses often stay open when other restaurants close, and can be a refuge for hungry patrons. #HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/NByCYzMWzW | The Waffle House is also closed. Bad News. FEMA informally uses a "Waffle House Index" to determine the likely scale of assistance required for disaster recovery. Waffle Houses often stay open when other restaurants close, and can be a refuge for hungry patrons. #HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/NByCYzMWzW |
| Hurricane Michael has made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, the National Hurricane Center says. | Hurricane Michael has made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, the National Hurricane Center says. |
| The storm is still intensifying as it makes landfall. It now carries sustained winds of 155 mph. | The storm is still intensifying as it makes landfall. It now carries sustained winds of 155 mph. |
| Hurricane #Michael has made landfall just northwest of Mexico Beach, Florida. The latest public advisory is available on the NHC website: https://t.co/fniXaEmxWe pic.twitter.com/s4X21XtdX1 | Hurricane #Michael has made landfall just northwest of Mexico Beach, Florida. The latest public advisory is available on the NHC website: https://t.co/fniXaEmxWe pic.twitter.com/s4X21XtdX1 |
| Here’s a view of the eye of Michael from outer space, shared by a US astronaut. | Here’s a view of the eye of Michael from outer space, shared by a US astronaut. |
| A view of the eye of #HurricaneMichael from @AstroSerena, currently orbiting Earth on the @Space_Station: https://t.co/NbHRW0j0mj | A view of the eye of #HurricaneMichael from @AstroSerena, currently orbiting Earth on the @Space_Station: https://t.co/NbHRW0j0mj |
| Landfall of the eye of Hurricane Michael is “imminent”, says the latest update from the National Hurricane Center. | Landfall of the eye of Hurricane Michael is “imminent”, says the latest update from the National Hurricane Center. |
| The eyewall is coming ashore along the coast of the Florida Panhandle between St Vincent Island and Panama City. | The eyewall is coming ashore along the coast of the Florida Panhandle between St Vincent Island and Panama City. |
| “Everyone in the landfall area is reminded not to venture out into the relative calm of the eye, as hazardous winds will increase very quickly as the eye passes!” the center said. | “Everyone in the landfall area is reminded not to venture out into the relative calm of the eye, as hazardous winds will increase very quickly as the eye passes!” the center said. |
| A wind gust of 106mph has been recorded in Port St Joe. Water levels are rising fast, with 6.5ft of inundation above ground level reported at a station in Apalachicola. | A wind gust of 106mph has been recorded in Port St Joe. Water levels are rising fast, with 6.5ft of inundation above ground level reported at a station in Apalachicola. |
| Here is the 12 PM CDT position update for #Michael: Eyewall of Michael coming ashore along the coast of the Florida Panhandle between St. Vincent Island and Panama City. Do not venture out into the eye when it passes! pic.twitter.com/KsePFlnTIt | Here is the 12 PM CDT position update for #Michael: Eyewall of Michael coming ashore along the coast of the Florida Panhandle between St. Vincent Island and Panama City. Do not venture out into the eye when it passes! pic.twitter.com/KsePFlnTIt |
| There are now 77,874 households without power, according to an outage map from Gulf Power. | There are now 77,874 households without power, according to an outage map from Gulf Power. |
| The biggest outages are in the area around Panama City, with more than 73,000 customers with electricity out. | The biggest outages are in the area around Panama City, with more than 73,000 customers with electricity out. |
| There are also outages in the areas around Pensacola and Destin, with power expected to go out for thousands more as the storm hits. | There are also outages in the areas around Pensacola and Destin, with power expected to go out for thousands more as the storm hits. |
| Donald Trump says he will likely go forward with a campaign rally planned for Wednesday night in Pennsylvania despite the storm. | Donald Trump says he will likely go forward with a campaign rally planned for Wednesday night in Pennsylvania despite the storm. |
| He said he would travel to the affected area later, likely Sunday or Monday. | He said he would travel to the affected area later, likely Sunday or Monday. |
| “There are thousands of people already lined up, and probably we’ll do that tonight,” Trump said in a White House briefing when asked if he would cancel the rally planned in Erie, Pennsylvania. “You have so many people already there, and it’s sort of not fair to them.” | “There are thousands of people already lined up, and probably we’ll do that tonight,” Trump said in a White House briefing when asked if he would cancel the rally planned in Erie, Pennsylvania. “You have so many people already there, and it’s sort of not fair to them.” |
| Trump said he would head to hard hit areas “as soon as possible” but did not want to get in the way of immediate response efforts. | Trump said he would head to hard hit areas “as soon as possible” but did not want to get in the way of immediate response efforts. |
| “I don’t want to go down where we’re interfering with the people,” he said. | “I don’t want to go down where we’re interfering with the people,” he said. |
| Fema administrator Brock Long and homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen briefed Donald Trump on the hurricane at the White House. | Fema administrator Brock Long and homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen briefed Donald Trump on the hurricane at the White House. |
| “This started out very innocently a week ago. This was a small storm,” Trump said. “It grew into a monster.” | “This started out very innocently a week ago. This was a small storm,” Trump said. “It grew into a monster.” |
| Long told the president that structures built before 2001 are not designed to handle the storm’s 145mph winds, meaning there will be “a lot of devastation along the coast structurally”. Extended power outages are expected. | Long told the president that structures built before 2001 are not designed to handle the storm’s 145mph winds, meaning there will be “a lot of devastation along the coast structurally”. Extended power outages are expected. |
| Trump marveled at the size and strength of the storm, which is the most intense to strike the area since 1851. | Trump marveled at the size and strength of the storm, which is the most intense to strike the area since 1851. |
| The fast movement of the storm meant that “citizens have less time to prepare or heed the warnings”, Long said. “We are concerned that many citizens chose not to heed those warnings, but we’re prepared with search and rescue teams.” | The fast movement of the storm meant that “citizens have less time to prepare or heed the warnings”, Long said. “We are concerned that many citizens chose not to heed those warnings, but we’re prepared with search and rescue teams.” |
| Trump acknowledged that poverty in the area has held back evacuation efforts. “It’s not so easy for some of these people to leave. Some of the areas are very poor,” he said. “A lot of people are very poor ... And it’s very tough for them to leave.” | Trump acknowledged that poverty in the area has held back evacuation efforts. “It’s not so easy for some of these people to leave. Some of the areas are very poor,” he said. “A lot of people are very poor ... And it’s very tough for them to leave.” |
| Video posted by meteorologist Marc Weinberg shows a newly constructed building collapsing in heavy wind in Panama City Beach. | Video posted by meteorologist Marc Weinberg shows a newly constructed building collapsing in heavy wind in Panama City Beach. |
| New construction just collapsed in front of me in Panama City Beach from #hurricanemichael!!! It is going bad fast! pic.twitter.com/CG5R8jcUuf | New construction just collapsed in front of me in Panama City Beach from #hurricanemichael!!! It is going bad fast! pic.twitter.com/CG5R8jcUuf |
| During an emergency few things are more critical than cell phone service. For the majority of US households, cell reception is their only means of communication with the outside world when wired internet goes down, and their primary means of obtaining important safety information. | During an emergency few things are more critical than cell phone service. For the majority of US households, cell reception is their only means of communication with the outside world when wired internet goes down, and their primary means of obtaining important safety information. |
| What happens when the power that those cell phone rely on gets interrupted? | What happens when the power that those cell phone rely on gets interrupted? |
| Meet Christian Hall, James Risi and Kim Key, who set up at a mobile staging ground in Marianna, Florida, to restore downed cell towers for AT&T, one of the US’s two largest cellphone carriers. “We’ll sit here and wait the storm out and as soon as the storm passes we’ll just start slingin’ em out,” said Hall, an event coordinator for Infinity Communications. | Meet Christian Hall, James Risi and Kim Key, who set up at a mobile staging ground in Marianna, Florida, to restore downed cell towers for AT&T, one of the US’s two largest cellphone carriers. “We’ll sit here and wait the storm out and as soon as the storm passes we’ll just start slingin’ em out,” said Hall, an event coordinator for Infinity Communications. |
| He notes that the importance of restoring the networks is twofold. For one, there’s “the emotional wealth of being able to call your loved ones and find they’re doing alright”, but more urgently, cell reception is a literal lifeline. “The other system that we support is those E911 calls, and those [emergency calls] require an active and stable network.” | He notes that the importance of restoring the networks is twofold. For one, there’s “the emotional wealth of being able to call your loved ones and find they’re doing alright”, but more urgently, cell reception is a literal lifeline. “The other system that we support is those E911 calls, and those [emergency calls] require an active and stable network.” |
| We chat in a command trailer parked in the lot of a decommissioned fuel station. There are dozens of 4x4 trucks here and swarm of contractors huddle under the awning as the wind whips a light rain sideways at them. Hall says the crew have about 80 generators on hand to restore power to cell towers that lose power, and a boat is on the way. | We chat in a command trailer parked in the lot of a decommissioned fuel station. There are dozens of 4x4 trucks here and swarm of contractors huddle under the awning as the wind whips a light rain sideways at them. Hall says the crew have about 80 generators on hand to restore power to cell towers that lose power, and a boat is on the way. |
| “A lot of these sites you don’t even know exist,” Hall adds. “Some of them are on top of buildings, some are on water towers, some are hidden on top of [cellphone retail] stores,” meaning the crews need to be ready for all types of different jobs and to improvise ways to get access. | “A lot of these sites you don’t even know exist,” Hall adds. “Some of them are on top of buildings, some are on water towers, some are hidden on top of [cellphone retail] stores,” meaning the crews need to be ready for all types of different jobs and to improvise ways to get access. |
| “Downed trees, down power lines and flooding are the biggest impediments,” Hall said. | “Downed trees, down power lines and flooding are the biggest impediments,” Hall said. |
| But mostly they make quick work of it. Last year during Hurricane Irma, Hall said he was part of a team that got 500 of 1,200 downed sites back up on the first day alone. | But mostly they make quick work of it. Last year during Hurricane Irma, Hall said he was part of a team that got 500 of 1,200 downed sites back up on the first day alone. |
| “It rolls once it starts going,” said Hall. Over the last few years, the trio say they’ve also been deployed to Hurricanes Harvey, Nate and Florence just a couple weeks ago. | “It rolls once it starts going,” said Hall. Over the last few years, the trio say they’ve also been deployed to Hurricanes Harvey, Nate and Florence just a couple weeks ago. |
| Hurricane Michael has gotten even stronger – with sustained winds now reaching 150mph, according to another update from the National Hurricane Center. | Hurricane Michael has gotten even stronger – with sustained winds now reaching 150mph, according to another update from the National Hurricane Center. |
| And the National Weather Service in Tallahassee says it has issued its first-ever “extreme wind warning”. | And the National Weather Service in Tallahassee says it has issued its first-ever “extreme wind warning”. |
| “Shelter in place IMMEDIATELY,” the agency warned. | “Shelter in place IMMEDIATELY,” the agency warned. |
| The situation is about to get serious in parts of Bay, Gulf, and Franklin county. We've issued our first ever Extreme Wind Warning. This means wind gusts in excess of 130 MPH are expected as #HurricaneMichael makes landfall in the next few hours. Shelter in place IMMEDIATELY. pic.twitter.com/5nHmcKLGm0 | The situation is about to get serious in parts of Bay, Gulf, and Franklin county. We've issued our first ever Extreme Wind Warning. This means wind gusts in excess of 130 MPH are expected as #HurricaneMichael makes landfall in the next few hours. Shelter in place IMMEDIATELY. pic.twitter.com/5nHmcKLGm0 |
| The town of Mexico Beach, Florida has lost power, its mayor said. | The town of Mexico Beach, Florida has lost power, its mayor said. |
| The town of 1,200 people is now seeing sustained winds of 40-50mph with gusts over 60mph, Mayor Al Cathey told CNN. | The town of 1,200 people is now seeing sustained winds of 40-50mph with gusts over 60mph, Mayor Al Cathey told CNN. |
| “It certainly is deteriorating rapidly here,” he said. | “It certainly is deteriorating rapidly here,” he said. |
| Out of 1,200 residents, 280 are still in town and did not evacuate, Cathey said. | Out of 1,200 residents, 280 are still in town and did not evacuate, Cathey said. |
| “Not everyone left. We’re just hoping for the best here,” he said. | “Not everyone left. We’re just hoping for the best here,” he said. |
| The core of the “extremely dangerous” Hurricane Michael was closing in on the Florida Panhandle, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11am update. | The core of the “extremely dangerous” Hurricane Michael was closing in on the Florida Panhandle, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11am update. |
| Life-threatening storm surge, hurricane force winds and heavy rainfall are “imminent”. | Life-threatening storm surge, hurricane force winds and heavy rainfall are “imminent”. |
| The storm is now 60 miles south-west of Panama City, with sustained winds of 145mph. It’s moving toward the coast at 14mph. | The storm is now 60 miles south-west of Panama City, with sustained winds of 145mph. It’s moving toward the coast at 14mph. |
| “Some strengthening is still possible before landfall,” the NHC said. | “Some strengthening is still possible before landfall,” the NHC said. |
| Here’s an update from Richard Luscombe in Miami: | Here’s an update from Richard Luscombe in Miami: |
| Storm experts at AccuWeather are predicting that the bill for damages and the economic fall-out of Hurricane Michael could be close to $30bn. | Storm experts at AccuWeather are predicting that the bill for damages and the economic fall-out of Hurricane Michael could be close to $30bn. |
| “The greatest impacts will be near and east of where the hurricane’s eye makes landfall and particularly along the coastline because of angry seas in a dangerous storm surge being driven inland by onshore winds,” said AccuWeather president Dr Joel Myers, warning that damage from the storm might change a portion of Florida’s Panhandle coast “for decades to come”. | “The greatest impacts will be near and east of where the hurricane’s eye makes landfall and particularly along the coastline because of angry seas in a dangerous storm surge being driven inland by onshore winds,” said AccuWeather president Dr Joel Myers, warning that damage from the storm might change a portion of Florida’s Panhandle coast “for decades to come”. |
| Among the economic fallout will be the rebuilding of properties destroyed or damaged by storm surge and high winds, including some that were already impacted in the Carolinas by Hurricane Florence last month. And increases in premiums for homeowners and auto insurance could cost consumers significantly in the years to come, AccuWeather says, as insurers reset rates based on claims experience. | Among the economic fallout will be the rebuilding of properties destroyed or damaged by storm surge and high winds, including some that were already impacted in the Carolinas by Hurricane Florence last month. And increases in premiums for homeowners and auto insurance could cost consumers significantly in the years to come, AccuWeather says, as insurers reset rates based on claims experience. |
| By contrast, the two costliest hurricanes in US history were Katrina in 2005, which devastated New Orleans, and last year’s Hurricane Harvey, which caused massive flooding in Texas and Lousiana, according to the National Hurricane Centre’s list of costliest tropical cyclones, which estimates both at $125bn. Hurricane Irma, a category 4 storm that ripped through the Florida Keys and along the state’s west coast last year, caused damage estimated at $50bn. | By contrast, the two costliest hurricanes in US history were Katrina in 2005, which devastated New Orleans, and last year’s Hurricane Harvey, which caused massive flooding in Texas and Lousiana, according to the National Hurricane Centre’s list of costliest tropical cyclones, which estimates both at $125bn. Hurricane Irma, a category 4 storm that ripped through the Florida Keys and along the state’s west coast last year, caused damage estimated at $50bn. |
| Here’s a map showing the projected path of Hurricane Michael. | Here’s a map showing the projected path of Hurricane Michael. |
| Photos sent to the Tallahassee Democrat show flooded streets and falling tree branches in Apalachicola, Florida. | Photos sent to the Tallahassee Democrat show flooded streets and falling tree branches in Apalachicola, Florida. |
| Photos and videos I received from Seth Silva who lives on 4th Avenue in Apalachicola. You can see in the first photo that Avenue I is floooded and in the second, tree branches are falling. pic.twitter.com/JxQqlLQzSA | Photos and videos I received from Seth Silva who lives on 4th Avenue in Apalachicola. You can see in the first photo that Avenue I is floooded and in the second, tree branches are falling. pic.twitter.com/JxQqlLQzSA |
| Hurricane Michael’s first strong band is now rolling through Tallahassee and the surrounding areas, according to the National Weather Service, with gusts of wind at 60mph. | Hurricane Michael’s first strong band is now rolling through Tallahassee and the surrounding areas, according to the National Weather Service, with gusts of wind at 60mph. |
| #Michael First strong band is rolling through Tallahassee and surrounding areas as it moves off to the north and west. Expect strong winds with gusts around 60 mph. #HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/ETMuUg3k5O | #Michael First strong band is rolling through Tallahassee and surrounding areas as it moves off to the north and west. Expect strong winds with gusts around 60 mph. #HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/ETMuUg3k5O |